Harry Potter and the Heroes of Olympus
by Advent of Shadows
Summary: Following Voldemort's return, Dumbledore sets into motion a chain of events that will change everything. To defeat Voldemort, Harry Potter doesn't need to be a wizard. He needs to become a hero.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

_June 27, 2005_

It was the last place he had expected to be sent to when he was finally released from the Hospital Wing. After telling the Headmaster all that he knew about Voldemort's resurrection, being summoned to his office was truly unexpected.

"I'm glad you could make it, Harry," Professor Dumbledore greeted. "I'd like you to take a seat."

Sitting across the desk from the Headmaster, Harry waited for him to speak, still unsure why he had been summoned there.

"Three years ago, you asked me a question that I simply could not answer… I trust that you remember it."

There was no question about it. At the end of his first year at Hogwarts, he had asked a question that he desperately wished to have an answer for. His third year had only solidified that desire, having heard his mother's final words thanks in part to the Ministry's dementors.

_"__Sir, there are some other things I'd like to know, if you can tell me… things I want to know the truth about…"_

_"__The truth." Dumbledore sighed. "It is a beautiful and terrible thing, and should therefore be treated with great caution. However, I shall answer your questions unless I have a very good reason not to, in which case I beg you'll forgive me. I shall not, of course, lie."_

_"__Well… Voldemort said that he only killed my mother because she tried to stop him from killing me. But why would he want to kill me in the first place?"_

_Dumbledore sighed deeply this time._

_"__Alas, the first thing you ask me, I cannot tell you. Not today. Not now. You will know, one day… put it from your mind for now, Harry. When you are older… I know you hate to hear this… when you are ready, you will know."_

_And Harry knew it would be no good to argue._

"Would you like to know the truth now?"

That question made Harry's eyes widen, having not expected an answer anytime soon, even if he felt that he was owed an answer.

"Yes."

A deep sigh escaped Dumbledore's lips and the room stilled.

"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches... born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies... and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not... and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives... the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies."

Shock was evident in Harry Potter's eyes as he leaned back in his chair. That sounded like a prophecy. It was not as if he had never heard one before, but until Dumbledore actual said it…

"This prophecy was made fifteen years ago. And though Voldemort did not know its full contents, he acted on it. He set out to kill you when you were a baby, believing he was fulfilling the terms of the prophecy. He discovered, to his cost, that he was mistaken, when the curse he intended to kill you backfired."

"Are you sure it's about me?" He could not see how Professor Dumbledore could be so certain about it. It was a rather vague prophecy after all.

"I am, though it has long ceased to matter," Dumbledore replied calmly. "The moment that he reacted to the prophecy, he made it apply to you and him. And besides, would that make a difference to you? Would you stand down after he killed your parents and countless others? You have opposed him thrice without knowing there was a prophecy in the first place."

"No. I don't suppose it does," he conceded, looking down at his hands. Surprisingly, they did not tremble even in the slightest, despite the revelation of his destiny.

"What would you give to defeat him?"

Harry looked questioningly at the elderly wizard at that.

"Would you give your life to fulfill the prophecy and end his reign of terror?"

He fought back the desire to laugh. "There's no question. If it meant stopping him, I'd put me life on the line in a heartbeat."

Harry Potter did not fear death. Two years ago, he had been bitten by the most venomous creature of all, the Basilisk. As the poison had taken course, he had been content with death. Even if Fawkes had saved him with his tears, that did not change how he felt.

"I'm not asking you to die, Harry. I'm asking you to give up this life. If you accept, you will likely never see Hogwarts again."

Without hearing the words, Harry somehow knew that Hogwarts was not the only thing he would never see again if he accept this mysterious offer.

"What about my friends?" he asked carefully, already expecting a certain answer.

"You will be unable to return until you are ready to defeat him."

"You can't tell me anymore unless I accept, I take it?"

"That's correct."

"Then I guess I'm in."

To a normal person, it might have seemed like an incredibly difficult to make, but Harry Potter was not normal.

"So if I'm not going to be 'Harry the Wizard' anymore, then what will I be?"

"A hero," Dumbledore answered as he prepared to reveal secrets that few within the Wizarding World still remembered.

* * *

In the end, Albus Dumbledore left his office to go to the Leaving Feast alone. By that time, Harry Potter had already left the continent with the help of Fawkes.

"Thanks," he murmured as the phoenix disappeared in flames, returning to Hogwarts.

Now, he was alone in a foreign country with just the clothes on his back and backpack containing some supplies that Dumbledore had put together on short notice. The rest of his belongings were still back at Hogwarts with the exception of his wand and Invisibility Cloak.

Fortunately, his initial destination was rather close. Fawkes had taken him straight to Long Island in New York. He just hoped the Camp accepted him like the Headmaster believed they would. What he knew of the back-up plan did not sound appealing to him.

It was a surprisingly long walk, despite Fawkes dropping him off close enough that the Headmaster was certain he could not possibly miss the place.

He knew he had arrived at the place the instant that he passed a pine tree that even Hagrid would be unable to lift. There was some kind of barrier circling the area from that tree.

Not long after he crossed the borders of the camp, he first saw it. In the distance, there was a large sky blue house to the left and some volleyball courts. But his attention quickly shifted to something else. A centaur was rushing towards him.

The centaur looked unlike the centaurs of the Forbidden Forest, though he had expected as much. None of the magical creatures he had met in his corner of the world would be like those of the Greek's area of influence. Even still, he could not help but be impressed as he looked at the centaur. If he had been human, he would have easily stood taller than any man, but he did not have the look of a warrior either. He had the look of a teacher and the clothes to match. But what had his attention most was the centaur's bottom half. He had never seen one with white hair before.

"You do not look surprised," the centaur remarked. "Welcome to Camp Half-Blood. I am Chiron."

"Well met, Chiron," Harry greeted in return. It actually took some effort not to gape. He knew of Chiron, but Professor Dumbledore did not know who ran the camp. Although his mother was a half-blood, she had never actually gone to Camp, so she was unable to tell her son about the details. "I'm Harry Potter, Legacy of Hecate."

Chiron's eyes widened noticeably, even if not by much.

"You are the first Legacy to find his way here in quite some time." He seemed to look him over appraisingly for a few moments. "Follow me. I'd like to speak with you before I give you the tour."

Exhaling a sigh of relief, Harry followed Chiron to the large blue house. At least he seemed like he was going to get the tour.

* * *

Author's Note: I prefer not to do such short chapters, but I thought this would be a good end to the first chapter, especially since I'm pretty rusty at writing.

Anyway, this is the first of two ongoing projects, though this has priority because I'm a big fan of HP and PJ.

Now, just to make sure I didn't make it too vague, Harry Potter is a Legacy Demigod in this. Legacies are pretty much exclusive to Camp Jupiter in canon, but I thought, "why not?" Famous legacies include Jason of the Argonauts, Odysseus, Hercules (also a demigod and later a god), and Alexander the Great. Frank Zhang was the Son of Mars and a Legacy of Poseidon as well.

Now, with that out of the way, I want to make a few change to the HP canon clear.

First off, I changed the birth years of most of the characters. Old characters can be ten years older, but I felt it was best to keep Harry's generation and the generation before that the same age as canon. I mainly did this, however, because otherwise Harry would be 25 when the Master Bolt was stolen.

Secondly, the Wizarding World encompasses Europe only. They did have a presence on every continent other than Antarctica at one time, but they have been in a serious decline for the last one hundred years. It will come up in the story, so I won't explain too much here.

Thirdly, minor details will be changed. This is a bit open-ended, but I figure it's a good statement to make all the same. If I want Harry to be related to Godric Gryffindor, despite JK Rowling saying that he isn't, then I'll do it. One change you can count on is that Merlin will never have gone to Hogwarts on account of him predating it by at least four hundred years.

And lastly, Dumbledore isn't some manipulative schemer. He isn't really one in canon either, but people think he is. The reason behind this is because Dumbledore was a plot tool initially. His transition into a three dimensional character was not smooth either. I could spend way too many paragraphs explaining my Dumbledore, but all you really need to know at this point is that he's just trying to make things right.

Anyways, thanks for reading.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

As it turned out, Chiron never had any intention on refusing him. Although no legacies had attending Camp Half-Blood since the nineteenth century, that had more to do with them not having the scent that attracted monsters than any actual rules.

Actually, saying that no legacies had attending the camp was somewhat inaccurate. The truth was that the legacies that had attended in that time were also half-bloods. Chiron had actually used Hercules as an example of a demigod that was both a half-blood and a legacy. Hercules was obviously the son of Zeus, but he was also the Legacy of Zeus through his great grandfather Perseus, and the Legacy of Poseidon through his ancestor Lelex.

"It is fortunate that you are a wizard," Chiron remarked after getting all the information on Harry's paternal lineage. "As the descendent of Ignotus Peverell, you would normally be too mortal for our normal methods of healing here to work on you. However, wizards and magicians can handle nectar and ambrosia, albeit in smaller quantities than half-bloods." Descendent was so much easier than saying great-great-great-great-great- great-great-great-great-great- great-great-great-great-great- great-great-great-great-great- great-great-great-great grandson.

Harry looked curious at the mention of wizards _and_ magicians, but he did not question it. He already had enough revelations today, not to mention Chiron was putting on some kind of orientation video for him.

The video was actually somewhat informative. It was clearly intended for people that were just finding out the gods were real, but it gave information on the camp that he did not know.

When it was over, Harry rose to his feet and followed Chiron out of the Big House so he could start the tour. Not long after making it out of the doors, however, he spoke to the centaur.

"I'll be staying her all year long."

Chiron merely nodded his head in acknowledgement but did not ask any questions about it. From what he gathered, the centaur was likely used to demigods that did not have ideal living situations.

The tour took them past the volleyball courts and through strawberry fields. Apparently, the camp was funded by the sale of strawberries, which grew very well with little effort.

The second step on their tour, and one that Harry was much more interested in, was the forest. It covered about a quarter of the camp and reminded him of the Forbidden Forest by Hogwarts. Though that might have been because his instincts were telling him that it was a dangerous place.

"The woods are stocked, if you care to try your luck, but go armed," Chiron told him.

"Monsters?" Harry guessed. Chiron was a legendary figure, having trained great heroes before, so he highly doubted that he was talking about animals to hunt.

"Indeed," Chiron confirmed. "And capture the Flag is every Friday night. Do you have your own sword and shield?"

Harry shook his head. The Headmaster had speculated that there might be a weapon in the main Potter Vault at Gringotts, but the only person who could retrieve anything from it prior to him reaching maturity was his godfather. Unfortunately, Gringotts would notify the Ministry the second that Sirius walked through the doors.

"No matter. There are plenty of both at the armory. Luke can show you the way."

"Luke?" Harry questioned.

"Luke Castellan is the Counselor of Cabin Eleven. Most new arrivals stay there initially."

"Hermes?" Harry guessed, earning a nod of confirmation from Chiron. The orientation film did explain that the Olympians were the only ones with cabins and it went over _claiming_, so it was not that hard to figure out.

"I should warn you that you will attract attention here. The last wizard to attend Camp Half-Blood… well, that was before there was a _United States of America_. Our societies haven't mixed in quite some time, so you will be asked many questions by the more inquisitive campers."

Dumbledore had said as much. Apparently, most wizard demigods had felt that they did not owe anything to the gods and had ignored their very existence, leading the gods to eventually doing the same with the wizarding community.

Not that there were many wizarding demigods in the first place. More than one god had been refused by pureblood wizards. That did not always end well for the wizards either. For example, rejecting Aphrodite had left a certain wizard and all his male descendants with wild hair that could never be tamed, no matter how much effort was put into it…

"I don't plan on showing up my abilities too much," Harry told him.

He had never been one for attention, and using a wand would surely attract attention. The few demigods that used magic never used wands. What they did more closely resembled wandless magic.

According to Dumbledore, wandless magic was an ability that any wizard or witch could learn to use. There was a reason it was not used often though. A spell cast without a wand wasted energy. Without a focus, there was too little control. Plus, the spells were simply harder to cast without a wand. With too much work and too little pay off, most wizards did not bother with it. Even Dumbledore, one of the most skilled practitioners of wandless magic, found it ineffective.

Even so, Dumbledore had encouraged him to try to succeed where so many had failed. That would not have been enough to convince him normally, but the idea appealed to him on a level that he did not quite understand.

"That may be for the best," Chiron admitted. "I suggest that you never use your wand in a conflict with another camper also. They do not hold up to celestial bronze very well."

After that, Chiron showed him the archery range, canoeing lake, the stables, the javelin range, the sing-along amphitheater, the arena where sword and spear fights took place, the mess hall, and finally the cabins.

Of all the places he was shown, the stables and mess hall were perhaps the most interesting. Apparently, they kept pegasi at the stables instead of regular horses. Flying had long been a hobby of his, so he could already imagine riding one of them. The mess hall, on the other hand, simply threw him for a loop. It was nothing at all like Hogwarts. It was simply an outdoor pavilion with stone picnic tables and a bathtub sized brazier in the center of the whole set-up.

Most people would have found the cabins to be more interesting than the mess hall, but he actually expected them to look fairly bizarre. If anything, his imagination produced more incredible buildings than what he actually saw.

The cabins were in a u-shape with Zeus and Hera's cabins making up the bottom of the letter. They were, in a word, opulent. A cabin made out of solid bronze that shined almost painfully… Harry was actually glad to know that he was not going to be staying in Sky God's cabin. Hera's was not as bad, but with the peacocks on the walls, he could not help but think it would have suited Malfoy better.

The other cabins were somewhat predictable. Poseidon's cabin looked out of place away from the ocean, Demeter's cabin looked quite earthy with grass on the roof, Ares' cabin looked like someone had just thrown buckets of red paint at it and had a barbwire going along the roof, Athena's cabin was just plain and gray with an owl over the door, Apollo's cabin appeared to actually be made of gold and seemed to actually glow, Artemis' cabin looked like it was actually made of silver but did not glow or even reflect light from the sun, Hephaestus' cabin looked like a factory, Aphrodite's cabin looked like a dollhouse, and Dionysus' cabin was actually covered in grape vines.

Hermes' cabin actually did come as a surprise to him. He was expecting a place like the Leaky Cauldron for some reason, but instead he found it to be quite different. It actually looked like a regular old cabin, with an emphasis on _old_. The threshold was worn down, the brown paint on the cabin was peeling, and the caduceus over the doorway was faded.

Chiron knocked on the door, and within moments, a guy about eighteen years old opened it. He was tall and fairly muscular with short sandy hair and a friendly smile. He looked like he was on a summer vacation, wearing an orange tank top, shorts, and sandals. But what caught Harry's attention most was the thick white scar that ran from below his right eye to his jaw. Having experience with scars, Harry knew exactly how much that must have hurt. Though he doubted it even compared to the scar that the basilisk gave him when he was twelve.

"Harry, this is Luke. He will be your counselor," Chiron told him.

"Regular or undetermined?" Luke asked, glancing at Chiron.

"Neither, I'm afraid," Chiron told him. "Harry is not a half-blood. He is descended from a son of Hecate, making him a legacy demigod. If you have any questions about it, he can explain."

The whole cabin actually looked a little interested in that.

"I'll hand him over to you now," Chiron said as he turned away from the cabin. "Make sure to take him by the armory after breakfast."

"Sure thing," Luke called out before turning his attention to Harry. "Come on. Today's your lucky day. We just so happen to have one free bed."

His words made sense to Harry only after he stepped into the cabin. There was literally only one unused bed in the entire cabin.

"Welcome to Cabin Eleven, the biggest cabin. To be honest, this is the fewest people we've had in here in all the summers I've been her. Usually there's a few people sleeping on the floor."

Harry almost asked how many people were unclaimed, but then he realized how rude that would have been.

"Breakfast is in twenty minutes, so you can hang around here 'till then, or we can go by the armory now."

"Armory sounds good," Harry replied, actually suppressing a smile when Luke's eyes widened. It was the first time he had spoken since he got to the cabin, and apparently they were not expecting the English accent.

"Then follow me," Luke said as he walked out the door, recovering more quickly than anyone else in the cabin.

* * *

The armory was just a large metal shed behind Cabin Six, but what he found inside surprised Harry. Swords, shields, and spears seemed to be the main equipment within the armory, but there were also axes, maces, hammers, bows, and even guns.

"Enough weapons are always provided for each class at the camp, but it's best to get one of each that fits you best and to bring it to each lesson," Luke told him once they were inside the armory. "So I'd recommend a sword, shield, spear, and bow."

Luke easily guided him to getting most of what he needed. He just needed a bow that he was capable of pulling back, a balanced spear that was not too long for him, and a shield that he could actually hold up. But the sword was harder. Each sword he held simply did not feel right in his hand. It actually kind of reminded him of when he got his wand.

After ten minutes of searching, Luke managed to find him a sword that felt less _off_ than any of the others he tried. Like almost every other sword in the armory, it was a xiphos, a classic Greek sword with a leaf shaped blade. He actually thought it was pretty crudely designed, made entirely of celestial bronze without any kind of covering on the hilt. There was no guard to speak of on the sword. Where the blade met the hilt was rounded so an enemy blade might be deflected, but it had nothing that could stop a blade like a European sword did. Matching this crude design, the hilt ended at a thin flat disk where a pommel should have been.

"You might be able to get someone from the Hephaestus cabin to make you something that suits you a bit better," Luke told him as they left the armory, heading back to the cabin.

"I might do that." He definitely had the money to pay someone to do that. Or he would once he went back to England. Dumbledore had mentioned the possibility of him coming back during Christmas break, though he would not be able to see any of his friends even if it did work out. Part of the reason that Dumbledore revealed his heritage to him and sent him to New York was to keep him away from Voldemort. Sirius was the only one other than Dumbledore that was even supposed to know what continent he was on.

"So… mind telling me about this legacy demigod business?" Luke asked

Harry almost laughed. He had expected the topic to have come up in the armory, but Luke had apparently decided to wait until they were not occupied with anything.

"My ancestor Ignotus Peverell was the son of Hecate back in the thirteenth century. You'd think that wouldn't mean anything, but apparently all his descendants inherited something from him." Now this is where he decided to mislead the half-blood. Dumbledore did not know what demigod ability Ignotus passed on to his descendants, or if it was simply an enhancement of their magic. That would certainly explain his Patronus being able to repel a hundred dementors. "I can use magic. I'm not that good at it yet, but I've done some things with it that you wouldn't believe."

That clearly interested Luke, so Harry told him a few stories, such as him suddenly appearing on top of a roof when he was being chased in school, vanishing the glass from a snake exhibit at a zoo, blowing up his aunt like a balloon, and breaking a locked cupboard door. He made sure not to tell the full story on any of those though. He was also careful not to mention anything but accidental magic occurrences. He really did not want to give the idea that he could actually control his abilities that well.

"From what I've been told, legacies are basically watered down demigods. Our powers tend to be weaker than half-bloods. It's not all bad though. We don't have ADHD or dyslexia, and our scent doesn't attract monsters."

Luke seemed to ponder his words for a few moments before he spoke again. "Learning to read Ancient Greek should be a challenge then."

Harry could not fight back a grimace at those words. He knew that dyslexia was a sign that a demigod's brain was hardwired for Ancient Greek. Without that, he was definitely not going to have an easy time with it. Though languages like English and Latin did come easier to him than they would to the average demigod.

"Don't worry, I can help you with that. My mornings aren't busy, so I can teach you after breakfast. But first, we need to put your gear up," Luke offered. "Don't worry about your stuff either. No one will take them or anything. Although you're staying at the Patron God of Thieves' cabin, we don't steal from our cabin mates. That would just be asking for trouble."

Harry looked a bit relieved, but when they reached the cabin, he still kept his backpack with him.

* * *

He would have been hard pressed to say who had better food, Hogwarts or Camp Half-Blood. Both had amazing food, though the latter certainly had a better selection of drinks. All he had to do was say what he wanted, and his cup would fill with it. It was nice actually drinking soda with a meal for once.

After breakfast, Luke gave him his first lesson on Ancient Greek. Not much had happened in the way of progress, but he did not expect much either.

Chores came after his first lesson, though the living with his uncle and aunt had trained him well. The entire cabin was cleaned within ten minutes at most.

From there, he had lessons in archery and Greek mythology before lunch. Chiron was actually the archery teacher, which he found quite fitting after he saw how good the centaur was at it. He had his about anyone in the world being better. Luke, on the other hand, taught him Greek mythology in addition to Ancient Greek. He enjoyed surprising the counselor with his knowledge of the subject.

Greek and Roman mythology had deep influences in many cultures, including that of the Wizarding World. Just seeing names like Remus, Minerva, Andromeda, and Percy made that clear.

But even taking away that, Harry had learned about Greek mythology before he started Hogwarts. He had always considered it to be a fascinating subject as well.

After lunch, he went to a weapon-making class that was taught by the counselor of the Hephaestus cabin. After it ended, he doubted that he would ever attend another one though. Weapon-making was not his specialty… not at all. He had ended the lesson with a clump of metal that did not even remotely resemble a blade.

Following that, he had two and a half hours of free time before dinner. An hour and a half of that was actually chore time for most people, but he did not have anything scheduled since he arrived that morning. Cleaning the cabin earlier had actually just been him volunteering to help Luke with his work. Despite staying in his cabin the entire time, he did not allow it to go to waste though. He practiced his wandless magic during that time. As expected, it was not an easy task, though he did manage to get the Wand Lighting Charm to work just before his free time came to an end.

The rest of the day ended up being pretty relaxing for him. He watched a few games of volleyball after dinner and ended the night at the campfire where the Apollo cabin sang campfire songs and the campers ate s'mores.

That night, sleep did not come easy to him though. He actually ended up leaving his cabin in the middle of the night and going back to the campfire that was in the area between the cabins.

When he reached the campfire, he saw a young girl sitting next to it, tending to it. She had to have been eight years old at the most.

"Can't sleep?" she asked, not even glancing back at him.

"No." Ever since Voldemort's resurrection, he saw Cedric Diggory's death replayed far too many times for his liking.

"In time, your pain will fade, Harry James Potter."

The sudden use of his full name, something he had only told Chiron, alarmed him, but the little girl acted before he could do anything.

She turned to him and placed a finger upon his forehead, right where his famous scar was. "This should help."

Pain erupted through his head as if it was on fire, only fading as darkness overcame him.

The next thing he knew, he was sitting up in bed, back in Cabin Eleven. He could see the light of dawn shining through the windows of the cabin. He felt… powerful. It was hard to explain.

It would be a long while before he actually came to discover who that little girl was and what she did.

* * *

Author's Notes: Not one of my favorite chapters, but if I kept tinkering with it, I'd never get it out.

On January sixth, I edited this chapter so that the information on wandless magic did not contradict what I have planned.

Anyways, thanks for reading and reviewing.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

A week ago, he never would have imagined that he would spend so much time with a centaur. But his encounter with Hestia, the eldest of all the gods, had led to him spending about an hour each morning with Chiron before breakfast. It likely would have been a one-time thing, but Chiron encouraged it after he overcame the shock of learning about the encounter. He had to admit that he did not regret it either.

Before Chiron, he had only ever really opened up to Ron and Hermione, and even then, he had avoided certain things. Admittedly, he avoided talking about his aunt and uncle with Chiron as well, but he had other secrets that his friends had never known.

The legendary trainer of heroes had been shocked to hear about some of what Harry had been through, especially surviving the basilisk's poison just over two years ago.

But on Friday, he changed the subject to something that did not involve him at all.

"Chiron… what happened to the American wizards?" he asked, thinking back to some of Hermione's ramblings. He did not remember much of what she had said, but he could recall hearing about how the American Ministry of Magic collapsed in the thirties from unknown reasons and no attempts to establish a new one were ever made.

Chiron grimaced at the question. It was unusual to see such a reaction from him. "If you want to know, I'll tell you, but it is not a pleasant story at all."

That actually gave him pause for a moment. Greek mythology was filled with unpleasant stories, so Chiron's words had a greater effect than they normally would have. But he was not dissuaded. "I want to hear it."

Chiron sighed but told him what happened regardless. "The story starts back in February of 1935. A daughter of Hecate was away from camp for the day, and a monster came upon her. It posed little threat to her and was easily dispatched with a spell. Unfortunately, her actions were seen."

"Wizards tried to arrest her?" Harry asked, already having his suspicions about what happened.

"They did arrest her," Chiron told him. "But she was not the only demigod away from camp. A few of her friends saw her get taken away. They went to rescue her and brought reinforcements. I learned of the incident immediately after it happened, but there was nothing that could be done. The demigods had tracked her to the American Ministry of Magic's headquarters, where they proceeded to kill every wizard there. I am told that the remaining wizards left for Europe shortly afterwards."

Well, Chiron certainly did not try to paint the demigods in good light, though he could actually understand their actions fairly well. They acted to rescue their comrade, regardless of what kind of opposition they faced.

"They didn't know anything about the wizards, did they?" Harry asked after a moment.

"No. It was the first time Camp Half-Blood had interacted with wizards since the Seventeenth Century. I'd like to think that they believed they were dealing with monsters, but-"

"Who says they weren't monsters? Wizards aren't always as good as they appear." There were plenty of examples back in England. He could not help but think of the Minister For Magic, who threw an innocent man in an abomination of a prison simply so he appeared to be doing something, along with throwing another innocent man in that prison and leaving him there for twelve years without a trial.

"You're taking this surprisingly well," Chiron remarked, still looking a bit worried. "I was afraid you'd get angry with the actions of those demigods."

"I might as well be angry about the Americans' Revolutionary War. Call me a kid if you want, but I think it's ancient history and has nothing to do with me.

"Well said," Chiron said, looking at Harry curiously. The young wizard was slowly starting to show his true self.

* * *

Those early morning talks were some of the only things at camp that really seemed to be going Harry's way so far though.

Since coming to camp, Harry had come to the realization that combat training was not as high of a priority as he would have liked. Actually, the primary reasons he came to Camp Half-Blood were to stay out of Voldemort's reach and to gain the training he needed to end the Dark Lord. Since he could not match Voldemort anytime soon with magic, learning to use a sword seemed to be a better idea. Unfortunately, he had only gotten to go through a single hour or sword training so far.

So far, he had learned that he was pretty much talentless at Ancient Greek, javelin throwing, wrestling, weapon-making, canoeing, tracking, and volleyball. It really seemed a waste to go to lessons on thing that he was so bad at, but Luke told him he needed to go to all the activites at least once. If he really did not like some, he could be given permission to do something else.

Despite being untalented at so many things, he did have some things he was good at. He had some skill with a bow, his reflexes made him decent with a sword and in unarmed combat, he was a natural at riding horses and pegasus, and he already knew more about Greek mythology than some of the older campers.

Unfortunately, there was another area where he appeared to be stuck in a rut. His wandless magic had not progressed at all since relearning to use the Wand Lighting Charm. He was already understanding why so few were capable of using magic without a wand.

After getting too frustrated to keep practicing, Harry had left his cave. There were rules about being alone with the opposite sex in a cabin at camp, so after finding a girl alone in the Hermes' camp during his free time, he had found a cave by the forest where he could practice magic without witnesses.

Before he got too close to the cabins, he was intercepted by someone that he did not expect to seek him out. The demigod in question was Ethan Nakamura.

Ethan Nakamura was one of the unclaimed demigods that stayed in Cabin Eleven. He definitely did not look like he belonged in the cabin, being one of the only dark haired residents. He was also the only Japanese American demigod in camp. Harry did not really know Ethan well at all, though that was mainly because Harry was introverted. All he really knew about the unclaimed demigod was that despite his slim, wiry build, he was a very talented swordsman.

"Ethan, how are you?" he greeted, thinking it was only polite.

Surprise was clear in the half-blood's eyes, though it disappeared quickly enough. He had no idea that Ethan was used to no one really paying attention to him.

"Not bad, you?"

"Could be worse." A thought occurred to Harry suddenly. It was a little selfish, but he could not stop the question from coming out. "Do you want a training partner?" He touched the hilt of his sword as he asked the question.

"I could use a partner," Ethan agreed without a second of hesitation.

* * *

Comparing Luke's sword training with Ethan's was not a good idea. Whereas Luke liked to explain things and give demonstrations, Ethan's training was kinesthetic. He learned to defend so as to keep Ethan from cutting him. He ended up getting really good at that, even after only half an hour of training. Offense, on the other hand, was something he needed to get more experienced at. Ethan relied heavily on defense and only struck when he saw an opening. Although Harry was able to defend against those attacks, there were many close calls. The same could not be said for Ethan. He had effortlessly defended himself against each attack.

After the session was over, they made plans to train Saturday and Sunday as well, so Harry was in a good mood.

That mood lasted until he entered the woods.

It was Friday, so he was taking part in his very first game of Capture the Flag. That sounded like a reason to be excited… until he was given border patrol. It was not just border patrol either. He was about three steps away from the edge of the woods, and he had been given orders not to leave his post.

According to Luke, their team's strategist had placed him there to make sure the other team did not try to sneak along the perimeter and get to their flag. However, the opposing team was led by the counselor of the Ares cabin, and he highly doubted that sneaking would even occur to them.

From what he had heard, his team would probably win the game even with him on the sideline. The Athena cabin had managed to recruit the two largest cabins, Hermes and Apollo, and people kept talking about how smart their strategist was, Annabeth Chase.

But he had seen evidence of none of that. And as for their strategist… well, he was of the opinion that it was bad strategy not to use every resource they had.

Looking around, he saw that he was out of sight by the other members of the team and decided to ignore his orders. He put his shield and helmet down by a tree and pulled his Invisibility Cloak out from under his armor. He just managed to wrap it around him before the conch horn sounded, signaling the start of the game.

He decided to do exactly what Luke said he was there to prevent. With as much speed as he could manage without making too much noise, he went along the perimeter of the woods, reaching the other team's flag in just a few minutes.

There was just a single guard in front of the flag, but she was a daughter of Aphrodite and did not appear to even be paying attention. That was proven when he reached out and quietly removed their ten foot long, silk banner from its post and hid it within his cloak.

With a little less caution, he traveled back around the perimeter, only slowing down when he reached the creek. A that point, he removed his cloak, put it back inside his armor and set foot into friendly territory.

Like that, the red banner shimmered and turned to silver. The boar and spear upon it were replaced with a huge caduceus, the symbol of Cabin Eleven.

The conch horn sounded once again, signaling the end of the game.

He heard the sound of laughter mere moments later.

Chiron must have heard about his position, because he looked far too amused when he saw Harry holding the banner.

All the campers quickly made their way to his location, confused about what just happened. That confusion did not last long though. Luke and Ethan started laughing the moment they saw the banner in his hand. At least one person did not see humor in it. An eleven year old girl with curly blonde hair and gray eyes looked angry.

"You weren't supposed to leave your post. That wasn't part of the plan."

"I guess that just proves that mine was better," Harry replied with a shrug before turning to hand the banner to Chiron.

As soon as it left his hands, he was picked up by a few of the other campers from Cabin Eleven, much to his surprise. Although their strategist was displeased with him messing up her plan, it seemed that she was one of the only ones that felt that way. In fact, he quickly lost count of how many people praised him for it.

It was odd, being praised and it not bothering him, but he was not going to complain. At least this time, he actually did something worth getting excited about.

Later, he learned that it was actually the quickest game of Capture the Flag in the last ten years. It only lasted five minutes.

* * *

One of Harry's favorite parts of the day at camp had to be the campfire sing-along. His reason had nothing to do with singing either. It had everything to do with s'mores. He had never had the chance to have any before coming to Camp Half-Blood, so having them every night since coming there was definitely going to spoil him.

But soon enough, everyone returned to their cabins to go to sleep, and it came easier to Harry than it had in quite some time.

As soon as he fell asleep, Harry opened his eyes to an all too familiar place. Looking around, he saw that he was in the same graveyard where Voldemort had gained a new body. Strangely, he was not reliving that night. No other person was in the graveyard, and the entire place was surrounded in mist so thick that it seemed like another place entirely.

"Where am I?" he muttered under his breath.

"In Cabin Eleven at Camp Half-Blood, I'd imagine."

The sudden voice caused him to spin around, where he saw that he was not alone.

Behind him was a woman unlike any he had ever seen before. Golden hair worn in a high-set ponytail that was worn in Ancient Greece, piercing blue eyes that seemed to look within the depths of his soul, and deathly pale skin gave him a pretty good idea what she was. Just looking at the sleeveless gown she wore reinforced is suspicions. It seemed to ripple, as if the cloth was ink spilling off of her form.

"Hecate." He was not sure how he knew who she was. Although he expected her to be beautiful, her being a blonde had come as a surprise.

"Indeed," she confirmed. "You would have no doubt if we met outside of a dream. My power is palpable."

"I believe you." And he really did. There was no doubt in his mind that she was Hecate, even if he was not sure how he knew that. "Why are you here?"

"I am known as the Goddess of the Crossroads," Hecate told him. "And you are at a major crossroads in your life. You are currently faced with two decisions that will define the rest of your life."

It was amazing how she could answer a question without really telling him what he wanted to know. But he had an idea of why she had sought him out. Since coming to Camp Half-Blood, he made an offering to Hecate before every meal. He knew that she was perhaps the only _minor god_ to receive such offerings. He was not fond of that description, especially for Hecate. She was the reason mortals could use magic, so he failed to see how she could be considered inferior to any of the gods.

Of course, calling her a god was also wrong. Hecate was actually a Titan, one of the few to side with the Olympians against the Titans and later the Giants. For her assistance, Hecate earned the gratitude of Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades.

"What decisions?" Harry asked, knowing she would only tell him what she wished. Gods and titans were did as they pleased, after all.

"You have focused on nothing but defeating Tom Riddle since your arrival at Camp Half-Blood. If you allow this to become an obsession, you will be doomed."

"I have to defeat him," Harry told her, confusion clear in his voice.

"I did not say that you had to give up," Hecate replied, sounding vaguely amused. "But defeating him will not help anyone if you lose what makes you Harry Potter. If your desire to defeat him become an all-consuming obsession, you will either lose the will to live or become something even worse than he is. I have seen glimpses of your future, and I know this to be true."

The idea of him becoming worse than Voldemort was chilling. He wanted to deny the possibility, but he lost his voice as he tried to speak the words.

"You need to prepare for the coming conflict if you wish to defeat Tom Riddle, but trying to avoid attachment will not make you stronger. It will do quite the opposite. But I cannot tell you what to do. I can only advise you."

Harry merely nodded, unable to say anything in reply.

"But that is not all. The second decision you must make could have an even greater impact upon the world. You must decide whether you wish to remain a wizard or return to the old ways."

"The old ways?" Harry asked, his curiosity overcoming the fear brought on by her earlier words.

"Wizards only came into existence in the Fourth Century. Before then, they used a different form of magic."

"The magic you taught them?" Harry asked, earning an appreciative nod.

"Yes, it was at that time that they abandoned my teachings and created their own form of magic," Hecate confirmed. "Since then, only Myrddin Emrys and Morgan le Fay have returned to the old ways, though their conflicts prevented them from every teaching it to others."

"Why did they abandon your teachings?" Harry asked, confusion creeping into his voice. She was the reason mortals even had magic.

"I could say _the arrogance of mortals_, but I prefer not to blame such things on human nature. In truth, wizardry was created for convenience. They judged it to be easier to teach, more versatile, and less dangerous to the world. I will concede that they were right on that last point. Sorcery can be very dangerous. But it is only difficult to teach if the student cannot maintain focus, and it is more versatile than wizardry if the practitioner knows what they are doing."

"How does it work?" Harry asked.

"Visualization. Imagine a fireball floating above your hand, and your magic will do the rest," Hecate told him, her eyes focusing on him. "The magic I gave to mortals over three thousand years ago was based on imagination. As long as they were able to focus on what they wished and had the energy to make it happen, they could change reality. I'm sure you have experienced weakness from using too much magic."

That was definitely true. Casting too many spells in a short period of time left him feeling weak.

"I will return to the old ways," Harry told her, conviction clear in his eyes.

"If you begin down this path, there will be no turning back," Hecate warned him. "Sorcery and wizardry are not meant to coexist either."

"Then I guess it's a good thing that I'm going to be making friends at Camp Half-Blood," Harry told her, bringing a smile to the titan's face.

"You are no longer in need of my guidance then," Hecate remarked. "I suspect that we will speak again soon."

A thought suddenly came to Harry. There was a question he had wanted to ask Hecate if he ever met her. He quickly asked the question before he could wake up.

"Ignotus Peverell was truly skilled at controlling the Mist. He did not need that cloak of his to become invisible. All of his descendants have inherited his ability to control the Mist, even if none have ever equaled his skill."

And with that, the graveyard disappeared and Harry woke up.

* * *

Author's Note: And with that, the chapter comes to an end. I ended up rewriting the chapter a few times, but I am happy with the end results.

It seems that most of the time I write a story, I just can't seem to wait to get through the first three chapters. That was the case here too. Chapter 4 might be like that as well, but it would be the last one if that's the case. I can't really tell untill I start writing it.

Also, unless I suddenly decided that it would be more fitting for Harry to end up with a HP character, the pairing is intended to be Thalia. But it'll be a while before Thalia even appears, so I have time.

Thanks for reading and reviewing.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

_December 18, 2005_

It was hard to believe that Voldemort's return had taken place less than six months ago. It felt like so much longer than that had passed.

It might have seemed much shorter if he had continued as he had before his talk with Hecate. But since then, he had simply allowed himself to enjoy his time at camp. He trained pretty heavily on weekends still, but his overall attitude had changed since then.

After their conversation, Harry had returned to each activity at Camp Half-Blood, even if he was not very good at some of them. Not all of those activities lasted long into the year either.

Camp Half-Blood changed in August. With summer's end, the total number of campers dropped to about twenty. It was not enough to have games of Capture the Flag, and some activities were stopped because of weather. Canoeing, tracking, and volleyball were among those. The sing-alongs at the campfire had stopped as well.

He did, however, improve in the activities that continued all year long. He could read and understand some Ancient Greek, he was one of the best archers still at camp, his javelin usually went forward when he threw it, his ability with a sword grew enough that he could match Luke or Clarisse for a few minutes before he was overcome, and he finally reached the point where the weapons he made had the right shape.

He really owed his new friend, Charles Beckendorf for that last part.

But now, he was ready to leave Camp Half-Blood, at least for a little while. A message ended up in Chiron's office that Fawkes would retrieve him at noon, London time. That was actually seven o'clock in the morning at Camp Half-Blood.

The idea of leaving Camp Half-Blood bothered him a little. It was strange to admit, seeing as how he had not even been there for six months yet, but it did. The only reason he was even a little excited to go was that he was going to get to see his godfather again.

When Fawkes arrived, Harry did not see him, which made the phoenix's unique traveling method come as quite the surprise, but it was not as surprising as his observations upon arriving at his destination.

Harry was standing in front of Dumbledore's desk.

"Welcome back, Harry," Dumbledore greeted, his eyes studying him carefully.

"It's good to see you too. But why did Fawkes bring me to your office?"

"This is merely a stop along the way to your destination," Dumbledore assured him. "You would not want Fawkes to take you there as you are now. Without knowing the secret, it would be very disorienting."

Dumbledore went on to explain that his godfather's home was protected by the same charm that his parents' home was. The secret was shared to him after the explanation. But that was not all Dumbledore wished to discuss.

"At one time, there was truly a _Wizarding World_," Dumbledore remarked, looking at a map on his desk. "There were wizards and witches living upon every continent, even Antarctica."

The thought of a wizard living in such a place surprised Harry. That was not an ideal place to live for anything other than penguins.

"But things started changing in the Nineteenth Century," he continued, unaware of Harry's thoughts. "It has been in a slow decline ever since we came into conflict with Per Ankh. And now, wizards do not even occupy all of Europe. I fear that this decline will lead to the end of our society within your lifetime. Especially if we keep producing people like Grindelwald and Voldemort."

Harry did not know what to say to that, though he did wonder what exactly Per Ankh was. He knew that the Ankh was the Egyptian symbol of life, but that's all he really knew.

But words did come to him eventually. "Then maybe it's time to return to the old ways. If the fall of wizards is inevitable, then perhaps it's time to become what we were meant to be in the first place. Not wizards but sorcerers."

He thought his little speech came out well, but Dumbledore was already shaking his head.

"I thought of that before. There is no way we could transition back to the old ways. Too many would oppose it. I thought about it-"

"Don't think about it. Don't try to convince the masses to follow a new path. All you can do is follow the path yourself and show others the way. If they don't follow you, it's not your problem," Harry interrupted, a fireball forming above his right hand. "We are not meant to coexist. Let them have their doomed society. We can find our own place in the world."

Dumbledore smiled upon hearing those words, confusing him. He was not exactly being nice there, after all.

"That is not my destiny," the headmaster told him, the smile still upon his face. "I have spent the last hundred years trying to save wizardkind. But you… you can do what I cannot. You have already stepped down the path of sorcery, but more importantly, you can inspire people in ways that I cannot. You are already a hero and will become even more of one as they years pass. But I? I am just an old man. My greatest accomplishment, or so people claim, is my victory over Grindelwald during World War II. But that was not a truly heroic action. He was once my friend, and I felt that I was responsible for him."

"You're more than just an _old man_," Harry argued.

Dumbledore did not respond to that argument. Instead, he merely said, "You can expect me Christmas Eve. There is something that we have decided you must be told."

And with that, Fawkes took him to his next destination.

* * *

If Camp Half-Blood ever decided to build a cabin for Hades, Grimmauld Place would have been a good place to study. It was dark, gloomy and had house elf heads mounted on the walls. But he quickly put those details to the back of his mind.

Standing before him was his godfather, Sirius Black. He looked much healthier than he had the last two time they met. And clean.

"Harry," Sirius greeted, a genuine smile upon his face. For a moment, Harry was reminded of the children of Cabin Six. His striking gray eyes seemed so similar.

"Sirius," Harry greeted in return. "You look well."

"Not as well as you," Sirius mused, taking in his new appearance carefully.

Harry did not realize how much he had changed over the last six months. He looked a few years older than he had been during his Fourth Year at Hogwarts. He had grown an inch or two taller, he had put on enough muscle that he no longer looked scrawny, and there was a confidence in his eyes that he had rarely shown before. In addition to that, he no longer wore his cousin's hand-me-downs, instead wearing black shoes, jeans, and a plain black t-shirt.

"So how is Camp Half-Blood?" Sirius asked, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"You know about it?" Harry asked, unable to keep the surprise out of his voice. Dumbledore had originally said that Sirius would not know the details of where he was staying.

"Dumbledore told me about it. I was very stubborn, and he suspected that you'd tell me when you came here for Christmas," Sirius admitted. "But I've heard of Camp Half-Blood before. Your grandfather told me about it when I was just a little older than you. An ancestor of yours attended camp for a few years. I believe his name was Ignotus Peverell."

"Yeah, he was a son of Hecate," Harry confirmed. "So what have you been doing while I was away?"

Sirius smiled at that question. "I didn't do too much at first. I was itching to get out of the house, but that ten thousand galleon bounty worried Dumbledore too much. To for a time, I just hosted meetings for Dumbledore and a few friends. But I've gotten to leave a couple times since Hogwarts started back. I can't imagine what Dumbledore what do without my help really."

Harry wanted to warn him against being reckless, but he was the last person who should say things like that.

"Do you mind if I do something right quick?" Sirius asked, his voice carefully controlled as he removed a wand from his pocket.

Having no reason not to trust his godfather, Harry consented.

"Nothing," Sirius murmured after casting a spell, the wand pointed at his scar.

"What are you doing?" He could not even keep the nervousness out of his voice as he asked the question.

"I was checking for something. Dumbledore was sure that your connection with Voldemort was a…" He stopped himself before he could speak any further.

A memory came to him suddenly, and Harry told Sirius about his encounter with Hestia.

Upon hearing what the goddess did, along with Harry being more clearheaded since then, Sirius said, "When Dumbledore comes by, we'll have a talk. Until he decides to pay a visit, I'd rather we hold off on this conversation."

Harry's fatal flaw seemed like it could be curiosity (it certainly was not hubris), but he knew when to be patient, so he did not bring it up again.

* * *

Harry only made it a few hours before he had the _pleasure_ of meeting his godfather's mother.

Not too far from the front door of the place, there was a portrait of Walburga Black. But it was not just a portrait. It was life-sized, and she was fully capable of screaming louder any howler could manage.

He was not sure what entirely woke the portrait up, but she was constantly screaming about blood traitors and the like.

"I'll get her to be quiet," Sirius grumbled when they came upon the scene, but Harry held a hand up, stopping him.

"I've got this."

He stared intently at the portrait, ignoring its shrieking and concentrated on a memory.

Almost ten minutes passed before Sirius finally spoke up again, though his words were barely audible over the portrait's rant.

"What are you-"

Silence met his question. The shrieking had stopped.

Turning his attention back to the portrait, Sirius was unable to mask a look of shock. The portrait no longer showed his mother. Instead, it showed the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

"Lady Hecate makes a much better image, don't you think?" Harry asked, leaning against the opposite wall. He sounded tired, despite being full of energy just a few minutes earlier. That was not a form of magic he was good at, but he had perfectly captured Hecate as she had appeared in his dream.

"Lady Hecate?"

Those words did not come from his godfather.

Turning, Harry saw Remus Lupin, looking at the portrait with admiration. Apparently, he had come in without either him or Sirius hearing.

"Having met her certainly explains how you can use sorcery though," Lupin continued, finally turning to look at Harry. "I'd really like to hear what's happened since Dumbledore sent you away."

* * *

Much to their surprise, it turned out that Lupin was already aware of the Greek Gods' existence. It seemed that most werewolves knew about it thanks to Fenrir Greyback. About ten years back, Greyback sought out Lycaon, the first werewolf of Greek Mythology. Their meeting went poorly, at least for Greyback. After leaving him near death, Lycaon had spoken with the rest of Greyback's kind. It was not just fear of Greyback that kept them in Europe either. Lycaon had told them in a cold voice that if they somehow avoided his notice, the heroes of Olympus would end them even more swiftly than he had defeated their leader.

But Harry was unable to think too heavily upon that subject. The instant that he had revealed that he had given up wizardry and started using Sorcery after talking to Hecate, Sirius and Remus were focuses more than he had ever seen them. That conversation, of course, led him to his talk with Dumbledore earlier.

"I can't say I'm surprised," Sirius told him when he was done. "I knew you were destined for great things."

Harry did not even know how to take that admission. He was not used to being praised like that. The words themselves might not have made him as embarrassed as he was at that moment. No, it was the sincerity that the words carried.

Lupin did not speak as quickly as Sirius. Instead, he looked deep in thought for a few moments. He was always the careful one of the Marauders, so it was not all that surprised. The wait did make Harry nervous though.

"You've taken on a task far more difficult than anything you have previously dealt with. Basilisks, dementors, dragons, and dark wizards will be a far easier task than what you propose. As if restoring the old ways was not difficult enough, you will also be faced with opposition by wizards. People as a whole do not like change, and purebloods like it even less… generally," Lupin told him, glancing at Sirius at the last part. "But I will support you in your ambitions."

Lupin exchanged a look with Sirius, and Harry had the feeling that they had a conversation with just that one action.

"You are just one person and would be hard pressed to restore the old ways on your own. I have no doubt that you could manage it in the end, but you need help," Lupin told him. "Fortunately for you, Sirius and I would like nothing more to help you."

Harry just grew confused at that. He knew he should have understood their words, but he was drawing a blank instead.

"It's not so complicated, Harry," Sirius laughed, the sound reminding Harry that he was a dog animagus. "We want to be your first two students. And once you're ready to take on more, you'll have two teachers to help you out."

"Are you sure?" Harry asked, trying to keep the surprise off his face. Trying and failing. "Sorcerers and wizards don't really belong together."

Sirius laughed even harder that time. "Harry, I have a ten thousand galleon bounty on my head for supposedly committing mass-murder."

"And I'm a werewolf," Lupin pointed out, as if his status was at least as bad as the other Marauder's.

"The whole _not belonging with wizards_ thing is a moot point for us. Even if my name was cleared, it would not mean a thing. As soon as it was discovered that I was an illegal animagus, I would be thrown back in Azkaban. Given that I escaped once already, they would be inclined to take measures against that and give me the largest sentence that they could manage. So my situation isn't going to get better, and neither is his," Sirius added, gesturing to Lupin at the end.

Harry could not exactly disagree with that. Well, he actually thought Lupin's situation could be improved, but he suspected that Hecate would refuse to cure him of the curse if he was still a wizard.

"Alright, I'll do it," Harry agreed, unable to refuse. "But we'll need to take this slow. Sorcery can be exhausting."

* * *

Harry knew that he was not ready to teach anyone how to use sorcery. He had barely scratched the surface of it himself.

Yet, he did as the Marauders asked.

Harry was not like any of the teachers that he had been taught by. What he was teaching had not been practiced since the Sixth Century. As a result, he could only teach them what he had personally figured out. Unfortunately, that was not very much at all.

He started with the sorcery version of the Wand Lighting Charm. It was the first charm Harry learned at Hogwarts, but that was not why he chose it as their first lesson. It was actually the perfect spell for learning to use sorcery. It required visualization and concentration to truly use it. Although the actual charm simply summoned a small ball of silver light at the end of the user's wand, the sorcery version of it allowed the user to change the ball's size, shape, brightness, and color with little effort. And if their concentration faltered, the ball of light would be extinguished.

It did not surprise him when Sirius mastered the exercise in twenty minutes and Lupin did it in half the time.

He did not have to wait long for them to hit a stumbling block though.

Over the last five months, he spent most of his time working with fire magic, so it seemed a logical choice for their next lesson.

But upon seeing them conjure a single fireball, he knew that it was not the right lesson for them. Although they looked well rested, their eyes showed that they were mentally exhausted.

There was a reason he used fire magic. All other types of magic drained him quickly, like transforming the portrait had. That loss of power was always accompanied by mental exhaustion. Once, he had made the mistake of using magic even after he reached that point. Physical exhaustion had come as well at that point. Since then, he always avoided exerting himself.

He had given them an hour of rest at that point. There was nothing that they could do until their power returned. That did give them time to eat a late lunch though.

After they were done, they returned to the dining room so they could try something else.

"Some wizards are just naturally better at certain things than others, right?" Harry asked Lupin.

"That's right," Lupin confirmed.

"I think that sorcery might work the same way, but maybe sorcerers are supposed to work on the magic they're best with at first," Harry continued.

"I don't have any better ideas," Lupin admitted. "It makes sense, actually. With your passion and temper, there's no way you could have gotten anything else."

"Don't deny it," Sirius said before Harry could speak. "When we met, you got so angry you punched me."

He could not hide the embarrassment that those words brought. When he thought that Sirius has been Secret Keeper and helped Voldemort find his parents, he had punched his godfather, completely ignoring his wand. But it was not just that one incident that made Harry see Lupin's point. In his First Year at Hogwarts, he showed that passion Lupin was referring to right before he left to save the Philosopher's Stone. He remembered how angry he had grown when he stood before Tom Riddle's memory in the Chamber of Secrets, calling him all sorts of names. There was, of course, the incident Lupin mentioned the year after that. And last year at Hogwarts, his temper had gotten the better of him quite a few times, even if he did not punch anyone.

"But there's more than that," Lupin added. "You have been touched by the power of a certain phoenix a number of times."

Harry's eyes widened when he heard those words. He had never considered that before. The Killing Curse that he survived was cast through a wand carrying a tail feather of Fawkes. The wand that chose him as its master carried another one. And then on two occasions, Fawkes had shed tears to heal him. The first time had been in the Chamber of Secrets, and the other time had been in the infirmary of Hogwarts after the Third Task. He had almost forgotten about the acromantula injuring his leg during the Third Task. Unlike the basilisk bite, it had healed completely, not leaving a mark.

"Your magic may have been influenced by Fawkes, but it is also a reflection of who you are," Lupin continued. "If that is true of you, then perhaps our magic is a reflection of who we are."

Harry took that in for a few moments before he looked at Sirius. "You're best at Transfiguration."

Sirius looked a bit confused, but realization sparked in Lupin's eyes. "I should have thought of it myself. The amount of time you have spent in your animagus form could have influenced your magic. But even before that, you always wanted to be something other than a Black."

* * *

As it turned out, they were right. His transfiguration skills were a reflection of the area of sorcery that he was naturally inclined to. Sirius preferred his animagus transformation, but they quickly discovered that he could take the form of other animals with just a little more difficulty.

It was a bit strange, his first student having abilities that Harry could not help him with, but there was nothing he could do about it.

They did not make any progress with Lupin though. Harry actually expected that he shared a similar inclination to Sirius due to him being a werewolf, but he knew that Lupin was a bit sensitive about that subject and did not ask about it.

That night, as he fell asleep, Harry found himself in a familiar setting. It was the graveyard where Voldemort had returned, but it looked as it did the last time he spoke with Hecate. Thick mist covered the borders of the graveyard,

"Hello," he greeted as he turned to face the Titaness of Magic.

"Harry Potter," she greeted in return, looking exactly as she had the last time they met. But something in her voice caught him of guard. She sounded… proud.

"I did not expect to see you again so soon."

"Nor had I," she agreed. "However your recent actions have made this visit necessary."

"Have I done something wrong?" he asked, growing a bit more cautious. The last thing he wanted to do was aggravate a god or titan.

"Wrong?" she asked, looking thoroughly amused. "No, you have done nothing wrong. In fact, you have earned my favor. Learning to use sorcery with just a few words from me was one thing. It impressed me some. But the moment you told my Albus Dumbledore your thought and made plans to renew the old ways, you did more than just impress me. And now, you've already taken on two students… you have earned my favor more than any mortal has in a long time."

He did not say anything and instead waited for her to continue. He did not believe that she had come simply to tell him that he had her favor, though he did find that surprising.

"I would like you to continue your efforts. And to that end, I would like to be your patron," Hecate told him, smiling a bit as his jaw dropped.

Of all the things she could have expected her to say, that was not at the top of the list. A patron was a serious matter among Olympians and gods. If he accepted, she would protect him from the other gods and offer him assistance. However, it would also mean that she was beholden to him.

"In return for my patronage, I will ask only that you continue your efforts to restoring the old ways. Of this, I swear upon the River Styx."

Thunder boomed within the mist upon the end of her words.

Truthfully, he knew that she could have made him see and hear what she wished him to. But he did not believe that she would resort to trickery on this matter.

"I accept your offer," Harry told her. "In return for your patronage, I will restore the old ways as I see fit. Of this, I swear upon the River Styx."

Thunder boomed again, and Hecate smiled.

"Now that I am your patron, do you have any questions?"

Harry nodded. "I was hoping you could tell me about why I can use fire magic easier than anything else."

Hecate looked as if she was expecting that question. "Everyone is born with an affinity. Those who carry the blood of the original sorcerers, at least. You will always be able to fire magic more easily than any other. But as you become stronger, it will be easier to use other forms of magic."

"And how many forms of magic are there?" Harry questioned.

Hecate looked a bit amused at that particular question. "More than you'd care to hear. But as entertaining as discussing a thousand types of magic would be, I'll skip to the good part. Sorcery was classified into seven types by the sorcerers of Ancient Greece. Affinities always fit into one of those seven types, and every sorcerer has the potential to learn to use all seven. They are elemental magic, mind magic, healing magic, protection magic, conjuration, transformation, and animation. But if you really want to classify things, you could also combine the last three and call it transfiguration."

"Seven's a good number," Harry said while repeating the seven classifications in his head.

"Is that all you wish to ask of me?" she asked after a few minutes of silence.

"For now." She had given him enough information for now.

"Before I go, you should know that what I told you only applies to certain kinds of magic," Hecate said suddenly. "Visualization is not necessary for every kind of magic. Some things are impossible for mortal minds to visualize."

And with that, she disappeared and he began to dream of other things.

* * *

Author's Note: I originally intended on doing another chapter before Harry returned to London for Christmas, but I realized that I'd just be stalling. Besides, Chapter 6 is where the story should really get exciting. The Lightning Thief will start at that time.

It's kind of amazing how this story has grown since I started working on it. Originally, Harry was going to just be a demigod that could use magic. He also would have basically become a side character so I didn't make him steal the spotlight. But I've since realized a better path and believe it will make this story much better.

That new path means that the previous pairing possibilities are out of the window, though I believe the new ones are better. So instead of Annabeth or Thalia, Harry will either end up with Luna Lovegood or Calypso. And I have figured out how to make either work already.

Now before we get any further, I wanted to broach a certain topic. That topic is magic. As you've probably realized, there are several systems of magic in this story.

Hecate's children use Mystiokinesis. The details of it were not really gone into in the series, so I'm going to handle it my own way. So I'm going to say that while it appears similar to sorcery, it is actually more similar to the powers of the Big Three demigods. They can use magic because it is within their godly parent's sphere of influence. But using it drains their stamina, whereas sorcery drains stamina only when the practitioner overexerts himself.

Other systems of magic in this story are sorcery, wizardry, and Egyptian magic. There will likely be at least one other system, but that's a matter for much latter to discuss.

What's the difference between Sorcery and the magic Hecate's children employs? No one's asked yet, but I'll explain anyways. The two magics are very similar in this story. The difference is their power source. As far as I can tell, Hecate's children can use magic because it is in their mother's domain. As we've seen with Jason, Percy, and Nico, using the power connected to their fathers' domain seems to drain their stamina. In Son of Sobek, Carter actually notes that Percy doesn't have magic, which makes my guess more plausible. So in this story, I'm going to say that the children of Hecate use stamina, rather than magic reserves, to power their spells. That's enough, in my opinion, to classify them as two separate forms of magic.

Anyways, thanks for reading and reviewing.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

_December 24, 2005_

Dumbledore's arrival at Grimmauld Place happened much earlier than Harry had expected. They had just finished breakfast and were about to start working on their sorcery again when the Headmaster arrived.

The Headmaster joined Harry, Sirius, and Lupin at the dining table before he discussed the purpose of his visit though.

"Harry, have you ever wondered how Voldemort survived that fateful night?" Dumbledore asked.

Harry was nodding before Dumbledore even finished the question. "He said something about taking more steps to immortality than anyone before, or something like that." His memory was not perfect, after all.

Dumbledore sighed, looking every bit the hundred and twenty year old man that he was. "For quite some time, I have suspected the method that he used. That suspicion was confirmed two and a half years ago." He took the diary of Tom Riddle out from his robes as he spoke.

"Horcrux," Sirius stated with a grimace. "Horcruxes are perhaps the darkest form of magic I've ever heard of. It works kind of like cutting up your soul and putting the pieces into objects, though even that doesn't cover how messed up it really is."

Harry looked pretty horrified at that simple explanation.

"That diary was a horcrux until you stabbed it with a basilisk fang. As you know, the poison is very destructive," Dumbledore told him, making Sirius grimace. Hearing about his godson being bitten by such a dangerous creature obviously did not sit well with him. "We have reason to believe that he intended to make six in total, though he may have accidentally created a seventh."

"So he wanted to divide his soul into seven pieces… but how could he accidentally divide his soul?"

"Dividing his soul so many times may have caused it to become unstable," Dumbledore speculated. "But there is a way to figure out if we are correct."

Suddenly, he realized why Sirius had cast a spell on his scar. So he explained to Dumbledore about Hestia's actions that first night at Camp Half-Blood. Dumbledore confirmed Sirius's findings with his own wand before he spoke though.

"Your scar once bore a dark taint, but it is gone. I can only assume that Hestia burned the horcrux within your scar until nothing remained."

"So two of his horcruxes are gone and we have two more in our possession," Sirius said.

"Correct," Dumbledore confirmed. "And until we find the other three and destroy them all, he cannot be dealt with. But when that time comes, you will need to return and face him, Harry."

Harry nodded, not saying a word. He would more than gladly deal with Voldemort when the time came, even if it did make him nervous.

* * *

Christmas with Sirius and Lupin was interesting to say the least.

Grimmauld Place had been decorated for the holiday with a massive Christmas tree and all kinds of decorations that he could not remember the names to. But that's not all. Sirius could be heard singing, _God Rest You, Merrye Hippogriffs_, and Harry had to admit that he was a pretty good singer.

After the conversation with Dumbledore yesterday, he was glad to be in a cheerful setting. The thought that a piece of Voldemort's soul had been inside him disgusted Harry more than he could say. It had taken a while for it to really sink in, and he wished it had not now.

Fortunately, they quickly moved on to something that distracted him perfectly. Under the Christmas tree, there were seven presents under the tree, most of which were his.

Harry really felt bad when he saw all the presents that he had been given. He had not gotten anyone any presents.

"Don't worry about it," Lupin said, quickly deducing what was wrong. "We knew you wouldn't have a chance to get anything."

Thought he was not as reassured as Lupin hoped, Harry began to open his presents.

From Lupin, Harry received a leather-bound copy of the Iliad and the Odyssey. He had never read the work of Homer before, though he had wanted to ever since he learned that it was a true story, even if not completely accurate.

From Sirius, Harry had received a magic mirror that would allow him to keep in contact with his godfather and some American money.

"Harry, what are those other two presents?" Lupin asked.

There were two other presents that merely read _Harry Potter._ He knew that they were not from Ron and Hermione. The wards blocked mail to him, after all. Besides, the presents looked nothing like what his friends had always sent him. Though he was sure they were presents, they looked more like bundles of unnaturally dark cloth.

The first of the presents he picked up was long but slender. Much to his surprise, it turned out to be a sword, but it was not Greek in design. Whereas the Greek xiphos was straight and sharp on both sides, this one had a curved blade and was only sharp on one side.

He had always thought of scimitars as wide swords with a prominent curve, but he knew that the sword before him was also a scimitar, despite the blade being slender and it curving only slightly.

Looking at it, Harry knew that the blade was made of pure silver but was somehow stronger than even Celestial Bronze. The guard and pommel were made of pure gold, but he could tell that they were also unnaturally strong.

As his hand took hold of the black wrapped hilt, he lifted the sword and knew at once that he had never held another sword that suited him as well as it. Its balance was perfect for him.

"Any idea who it's from?" Lupin questioned.

"My patron," Harry answered a certainty that surprised even him.

No words were exchanged as he went on to the second present. It was some kind of amulet. Hanging from a black leather cord, he saw what appeared to be a thin disk of obsidian with a silver band wrapped around its edges. Upon looking at the disk closely, he could make out a slight difference in coloration at the center of it. A barely visible circle upon a dark background… it reminded him of the new moon, which was a symbol for Hecate.

* * *

_December 31, 2005_

The rest of his time at Grimmauld Place passed much more quickly than he would have liked, but he made the most of it nonetheless.

Not long after Christmas, they had managed to figure out that Lupin's affinity was not connected to being a werewolf. It was quite the opposite, actually. He could easily conjure shields that could hold up to Harry's strongest flames. Not even Sirius in bear form could break them.

Honestly, Harry did not really consider Sirius or Lupin as his first students. He may have showed them the basics of sorcery, but they figured out how to use Transformation and Protection on their own. He more or less saw them as equals as a result.

On the last day of his vacation, Harry decided to ask the pair something that he had been thinking about for quite some time.

"Why don't you guys come with me?" He seemed reasonable in his opinion. If Sirius was a wanted man and Lupin was disliked for being a werewolf, leaving England could only be good.

But Sirius shook his head. "As much as I'd like to get out of here and see you more often, I can't leave yet. Even if I've stopped using wizardry, I know more about dark magic than Dumbledore. Given that he's trying to find horcruxes, he needs my help."

"And I'm helping Dumbledore with other matters. I'd tell you more, but he asked me not to tell anyone," Lupin added. "But once Voldemort is done with, I will happily leave this continent."

Sirius nodded in agreement at that last part.

Nothing more was said on the matter.

About an hour before Fawkes was supposed to come and get Harry, something unusual happened.

He was just walking around his room getting his belongings together when he noticed his wand in that bottom of his backpack. He had not even touched it since he packed in back in June.

Reaching into it, Harry grabbed the wand. Immediately, he knew something went wrong.

Harry took a step back with the wand held tightly in his hand. He could not control the muscles in his hand and it felt as if it was on fire. He did not have time to figure out how to let it go though.

The wand grew until it could no longer be called such. The wand, previously less than a foot long, was now a staff. Just calling it a staff seemed to be inappropriate though. The holly staff had a smooth shaft until it reached what appeared to be a carving of a phoenix at the top. It actually looked a great deal like Fawkes when he was having a good day. The entire thing was six feet long and an inch and a half thick.

With a mere thought, Harry saw the phoenix atop his staff catch fire, but the wood was not burning.

"I always heard that wands had some degree of sentience, but I didn't think they could change like that," Sirius remarked from the doorway, startling Harry a bit, though it was hard to tell after having his wand change like that. "It's a shame I can't ask Olivander about it. He'd probably know."

Slowly getting over the shock, Harry said, "Not sure how I'm supposed to carry this thing around. It's not exactly subtle."

Suddenly, the staff shrunk until it was a six inch long piece of holly. It was still pure white as his wand and staff had been, but it did not look like it was magical anymore.

With a mere thought, it returned to being a staff.

"That's handy," Sirius noted.

"It is," Harry agreed as it returned to its small form and he placed it in his pocket. He had a feeling that it could only change form as long as he held it in his hand, though he did not understand how he knew that.

"Harry, I really do want to come with you," Sirius told him suddenly. "But I want to wait until you're done with camp to go to the States. With you at camp at Remus staying here to help Dumbledore on a frequent basis, I wouldn't handle it too well. At least here, I have guests every week. That's why I'm not going to ask Dumbledore just to send Fawkes if he needs me."

Harry just nodded his head in understanding. He could not fault Sirius for that.

They did not talk anymore as Harry packed his things and eventually left with Fawkes.

* * *

Author's Note: Short chapter, but I'm happy with everything except for the ending. I believe that this story is going to really start getting good with the next chapter though. It will be the start of the Lightning Thief.

Oh, and if anyone is curious about Harry's new sword, it is modeled after Rand's sword from Eye of the World, Book 1 of the Wheel of Time. Only difference is that the hilt is black.

And on one final note, the pairing is officially decided. It will be Harry/Calypso.


	6. Pending Rewrite

I don't typically like to do this, and it is, naturally, against the terms of use for this site, so I'll only leave this note up for a max of three days just to be on the safe side.

When I finally got back into writing fanfiction again, I realized that of all my stories, there were three that I felt need a serious overhaul before I can continue work on them again. Those three stories are Out of the Shadows, Harry Potter and the Heroes of Olympus, and Through the Darkness. After weeks of consideration, I can't bring myself to choose which one to rework first though, so I decided to create a poll so I can receive input from you, the readers. I am, of course, open to more detailed responses if you wish to do so.

But before you vote, review, or send me a private message, let me take a bit of time to explain each idea, in case you are not already aware of each of them. As I wrote this message and am not editing it for each of the three stories, this will even contain some details about the story I posted this on.

I'll begin with Out of the Shadows. It started as a response to all the Wrong Boy-Who-Lived fanfics out there, though it is not technically one of them. It tells the story of the brother of the Girl-Who-Lived, who chose to attend a different magic school while his sister went to Hogwarts. After Lord Voldemort's resurrection, it is deemed to be too dangerous to leave him unprotected, resulting in him being forced to return to England, much to his chagrin. In the original version, he went to Durmstrang and was set to be paired with Penelope Clearwater, who had become a vampire since graduating from Hogwarts.

Next is Harry Potter and the Heroes of Olympus. This particular idea went through so many changes after Chapter 1 that a rewrite was unfortunately needed. But basically, it takes place at the conclusion of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire but with a twist. Instead of sending Harry back to Privet Drive, Dumbledore sends him to Camp Half-Blood for his protection and so that he can be prepared for the eventual conflict with Voldemort. As with the original, he would end up paired with Calypso.

And the last idea is Through the Darkness, which was perhaps my favorite project that I've ever worked on. It was inspired by Demon Lacrima by DeathGodSlayer. As with Demon Lacrima, the idea was based around Naruto joining Grimoire Heart before canon, but that is really where the similarities stop. Growing uncomfortable with Grimoire Heart's methods, Naruto leaves the Dark Guild but is soon hunted in retribution. Over time, he finds redemption through Crime Sociere and fights to protect the world from Zeref himself. As with the original, it would have an eventual pairing of Naruto/Ultear. Unlike the original, Naruto would be a Devil Slayer, not a God Slayer.

Anyways, that's all I wanted to say. Thanks for reading.


	7. Poll Update

The poll is now closed, and I will be deleting this and the previous note from Out of the Shadows and Heroes of Olympus tomorrow. They will, on the other hand, stay up on Through the Darkness until Monday.

Anyways, the totals for the poll are as follows...

Through the Darkness- 50 votes

Out of the Shadows- 36 votes

Heroes of Olympus- 14 votes

* * *

In addition, Through the Darkness and Out of the Shadows both received two reviews showing support for those stories.

To everyone that showed support in one way or another, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. And for those who are disappointed with the outcome... well, this just decided what order I do the rewrites in. I still fully expect Out of the Shadows to be done later this year.

Anyways, thanks again for reading and giving me your input, and I am sorry if you received these emails and was let down at the realization that I did not update these stories today.

Best wishes,

Advent of Shadows.


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